A Hero's Reward

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR, I own nothing.

Summary: The final enemy to defeated is death right? Well Harry Potter has dealt with both death and enemies, and defeated them all. He has his one true love, Ginny, and they're married, and she's pregnant with his son, his best friends have expressed how they truly feel, and they're married as well, and Hermione is pregnant with a baby girl. So why doesn't Harry feel fulfilled? He has everything he could ever want, except for his heart's desire. But what happens when the shooting star that changes everything comes to pass? Will Harry receive the ultimate reward?

Pairings:

Harry/Ginny

Ron/Hermione

Tonks/Remus

Molly/Arthur

George/Angelina

and finally…

Lily/James

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Chapter 1: Prologue

"Now smile!" said Molly Weasley cheerfully, she used a wizard camera to take a picture of her family, and being George, he'd ruined it with a bunny ear pose on Ron at the last second. "George, no funny poses this time!" she admonished.

"Fine, Mum," said George, rolling his eyes. He hugged his wife Angelina close to him and genuinely smiled. The picture snapped, taking a shot of Harry and Ginny Potter, Ron and Hermione Weasley, and George and Angelina Weasley. The picture instantly developed itself and Molly hung it on the wall next to the original family shot when Fred and Percy were still there. Though she resolutely decided not to dwell on it, as neither of them would want her to. Though Percy was alive, he barely came home anymore as he was so busy with the Ministry and Kingsley Shacklebolt, the new Minister.

"Very nice. Ginny, are you feeling all right? Hermione?" Both women were three months pregnant, and Molly worried more about them each day. They glanced at each other and shook their heads.

"We're fine Mum, honest." said Ginny, smiling at Harry and taking his hand in hers. Harry smiled back, but to him it felt forced, and he couldn't imagine why.

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Later that night, he lay in bed with Ginny by his side, unable to sleep. He hadn't been able to soundly sleep for months, only taking hour long catnaps and then to be woken up by his own thoughts. Then he thought of something that hadn't occurred to him.

He slipped out of bed, careful to be as quiet as possible so he wouldn't wake Ginny. He slipped on his sneakers and a jacket; the autumn breeze would be chilly. He stepped out of the safety of the Burrow, wand in hand. He then thought of the Godric's Hollow Cemetery, and disappeared with a pop.

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"Harry?" said Ginny sleepily, feeling the bed next to her, only to find it empty. That woke her up. "Harry?" she called a little more loudly, but got no response, except for the ghost that haunted their attic with its usual moaning. She ignored that and decided to investigate her husband's whereabouts.

Then she remembered what day it was.

October 31, 2001.

The twenty year anniversary of the night Lily and James Potter died to protect their son.

"Of course, how could I have been so stupid?!" she whispered to herself. She stood up and walked out of the room, grabbing her cloak and sneakers on the way out.

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Harry appeared at the gate and pushed it out of his way. It responded with an aged creak. He walked slowly past the gravestones, and he saw all the people that had died valiantly fighting Lord Voldemort. Remus, Tonks, Colin, Fred, Sirius, Dumbledore, Cedric, Dobby, Snape, and…

Them.

Harry took a deep breath as he reached the tombstones where six feet underground, the truest heroes of them all were laid to rest.

JAMES MICHAEL POTTER

Killed while valiantly trying to save his family

He will never be forgotten

Next to him….

LILY ROSE EVANS POTTER

Killed while trying to save her son

She will always be remembered.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

His parents, Lily and James Potter.

They died fighting Voldemort, and his mother sacrificed herself to save her son, even though Voldemort gave her a chance to run.

"Harry?" called Ginny softly, coming out of the mist of the night. Harry looked up and smiled sadly at her.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked, staring at the names on the gravestone.

"I didn't, the baby did. He kicked when you were gone, waking me up."

Harry smiled at Ginny's slightly distended abdomen briefly before looking back at the gravestones. He picked up a clump of dirt over his mother's grave and sighed.

"It's been twenty years Gin. Twenty years since my mum and dad died to save me."

Ginny crouched next to him and hugged him. She let him cry. Harry Potter was never one to show emotion, and when he did, he was really upset.

"Harry?" A gentle voice called out softly. Harry looked up.

A woman with long red hair stood there, her eyes closed. She opened them, and they were emerald green, exactly like Harry's. She looked to be about 21, the same age Lily was when she….

"No, this isn't possible," Harry mumbled. He shook his head. "I'm dreaming, or, it's another vision. My mum can't be alive!"

"She's alive, and so am I Kid," said a man, walking up behind 'Lily'. He had messy black hair that was grown out slightly, round glasses and hazel eyes with green and gold specks.

Lily and James Potter were alive once more.

"B-But how?" said Harry, standing, Ginny beside him.

"We're not exactly sure, to be honest." Lily admitted sheepishly. "We know that the last thing we saw was a flash of green light, until now."

"The Killing Curse." Harry confirmed. Lily and James nodded. "You died to save me."

"Yes, and we would do it again especially if our son would become the hero that you are."

"I'm no hero." said Harry, turning around. Lily and James walked forward, Lily putting her hand on Harry's shoulder. That shot Harry into a flashback.

-Flashback: First Year-

Harry had been snooping around the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library, trying to find information about Nicholas Flamel. Then a screaming book nearly gave him away to Filch, but the Invisibility Cloak saved him. He ran to a room with a huge mirror.

Erised Stra Ehru Oyt Ube Cafru Oyt On Wohsi.

I Show Not Your Face But Your Heart's Desire.

He stepped in front of it, and saw himself, with two people behind him.

"Mum?" he said to the woman. She smiled and nodded. He turned to the man. "Dad?" The man nodded.

-End Flashback-

"Yes Harry, your greatest desire was to have the parents you never knew," said the spirit of Dumbledore, stepping out of the shadows. "And now that you have completed your destiny and defeated Voldemort, you have received that desire."

Dumbledore disappeared after that, and Harry stared wonderingly at his parents. They both smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. The reunited Potters shared in a long hug, and Harry invited Ginny to join.

"We missed nineteen years of your life," said Lily, her eyes filling with tears when they separated.

"There wasn't much to see," said Harry.

"I'll be the judge of that." said James. "Who is this lovely young lady?" Ginny blushed.

"She is my wife, Ginny Weasley Potter." answered Harry. Ginny blushed even more and Harry hugged her to his side.

"I have a daughter in law!" said Lily.

"Yeah, I guess you do, Mum," said Harry.

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Albus Dumbledore watched from above and smiled at the family. He knew that Harry deserved this, after everything he'd sacrificed. He would make sure that nothing stood in the way of the boy's happiness.

After all, Harry was the son Albus never had.

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A/N: There's the first chapter. Next chapter, everyone meets Lily and James, and they have to prove their identity to the Ministry.